


Fool's Gold

by Mina Lightstar (ukefied)



Category: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner
Genre: Gen, complete disregard for people's heads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-24
Updated: 2010-09-24
Packaged: 2017-10-12 03:54:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/120467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ukefied/pseuds/Mina%20Lightstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For hardmode, the gaming Big Bang.  Rumpelstiltskin may be his name, but what the hell is his game?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fool's Gold

**Author's Note:**

> It took me forever to decide whether or not to italicize Gouto's speech. I decided against it on the basis that Raidou has been doing this so long, he doesn't necessarily differentiate between human speech, demon speech, or talking-cat-speech. Nagi is now Geirin. Much love to zoifox for doing obscene things to her demons and logging their quotes for me.

Raidou hops on one foot, gritting his teeth against the pain. It takes a few seconds for the hotfoot to pass, and he must suffer Pyro Jack's sniggering until it does. When he can touch his toe to the ground without howling, Raidou takes a slow, deep breath. He's annoyed -- with the demon, for using such a cantrip, and with himself, for falling for it.

"Graceful, Junior," Gouto comments.

Raidou's expression hardens, but he doesn't offer his mentor any excuse. He beholds his little troublemaker; beneath the moonlight, Pyro Jack's flames are almost eerie. Its glowing eyes belie the juvenile trickery this young demon seems to prefer. The Dark Realm is a better suited playground for the likes of it. Raidou says so.

"Hee-no!" Pyro Jack laughs, and it begins to circle Tsukudo-Cho's small pier. "This is -- hee -- more fun, ho! The people are afraid of me, ho!"

"No good, Junior," Gouto quips. "This idiot is more interested in spooking fishermen and dames than what's good for him."

Pyro Jack stops circling, hovers above the water and stares at Raidou with fiery eyes. "Good for hee-me?"

Raidou produces a tube from beneath his cape; its incandescent green glow catches the Pyro Jack's attention and the troublesome demon visibly stiffens. "Hee... hee... hee--"

"Ho!" Jack Frost exults upon its summon, spinning 'round once before beholding its surroundings. "Raidou!" it rubs the back of his blue-capped head. "What should I do, hee-ho?"

"Good idea," Gouto says. "Fighting an idiot with an idiot."

"Gouto," Raidou says quietly: a mild warning, but all he dares to give his mentor in front of the demons. Then he signals Jack Frost.

"W-wait-ho!" Pyro Jack pleads, dropping its lantern. The water swallows its light, but the pier is no darker. "Ple-hee-ase! N-not him!"

Raidou stays Jack Frost's hand, but gives Pyro Jack two options: the tube or the Dark Realm. Wayward demons who cross over between realms cannot be allowed to remain and must be dealt with one way or another.

"The Dark Realm, ho!" Pyro Jack insists, eyeing Raidou warily. "I'll go to the Dark Realm and stay there, ho! Never come out again, _ho!_ "

Jack Frost does a little dance. "Too easy, ho!"

"I'm getting sick of this, ho," Gouto grumbles.

Raidou almost cracks a smile. He tells Pyro Jack that yes, the Dark Realm is where it belongs and it should go home immediately. If the residents of Tsukudo-Cho report anymore strange incidents, Raidou will hunt again -- and find the "incident" just as quickly.

"R-right, ho!" Pyro Jack is already leaving in search of the gap between realms. "You don't need to worr-hee about me anymore!"

Raidou watches it go, figuring that despite a rocky start, the night ended on a positive note. He hadn't really wanted to kill the demon for just being a pest.

"Raidou," Jack Frost ventures, "let's play together, hee-ho."

Raidou says he would love to, but it's already nearly dawn and he has to get to sleep. When Jack Frost looks crestfallen, Raidou tries smoothing things over; Jack Frost can walk home with him. This placates the playful demon, who eagerly falls in line behind them as they march back to the Narumi Detective Agency.

Gouto doesn't say anything, but Raidou can feel the cat staring at his back. For the most part, his mentor doesn't police how he handles his demons. However, Gouto has maintained one stringent criticism concerning Raidou's approach to raising demons: sometimes, he's too soft.

***

"Rise and shine, Junior."

Old habit has Raidou rolling out of bed and hopping to his feet. When he notes the sun's position in the sky, though, he gives Gouto a petulant look.

"Don't be that way," his mentor says, tail twitching back and forth as he paces before Raidou's bedraggled form. "Last night's performance just reminded me that you haven't been to the training hall in ages."

Raidou blinks, glancing at the early morning light and then at the clock on his wall. He looks back at Gouto and croaks, "Now?"

"See?" Gouto sits and shakes his head. "We've been too lenient with training ever since Abaddon. Granted, you did save the Capital -- and a great deal more, I should say. But, Junior, last night was an embarrassment." Raidou winces. "Oh, come on. We're both to blame. Between small-fry demons stirring up pranks and the agency lacking in cases, I'm not surprised that we're out of shape."

Raidou says he's meant to go to the training hall sometime this week. It's a feeble protest, but Gouto only nods as Raidou goes to wash up. He's ready in less than fifteen minutes, cape, cap, and all.

"Cheer up," Gouto urges. "Once we mow down a few demons, you'll feel more like your old self."

Raidou says he suspects so. Things have been too quiet lately. Maybe it's a good idea to head to the training hall today; he could check in with Yatagarasu's Herald while he's there.

"Now you're using your head, Junior." Gouto scratches behind his ear; Raidou always equates this with rubbing his chin. "I'd wager the Herald might give you something to do just to alleviate your boredom. Or maybe there's something Geirin might appreciate company for."

Raidou buckles his sword and holsters his gun. Now that the sleep-muddle has gone, he actually feels fresh and ready for a visit to the training hall. It will do him some good.

He smells coffee once he exits his room. In the main office, he finds Narumi and a rudimentary breakfast of toast and milk.

"Morning, Raidou," Narumi says, turning a page in the paper. A coffee mug sits by his elbow. Another cup is next to Raidou's glass of milk.

Gouto meows his own greeting, hopping onto the table.

Raidou is still looking at the meal for two. "Good morning." Narumi is awake unusually early.

"Figured you'd be up at this hour," his boss explains, "so I thought I'd make us breakfast. Care to join me?"

Narumi obviously doesn't know when Raidou finally got to bed. The gesture is nice, though, so he removes his cape and sword and slides into the opposite chair. "Thank you, Narumi-san."

"Not a problem." Narumi looks at him over the newspaper. "Where are you off to this morning?"

Raidou tells him about the Pyro Jack, and Gouto's plans for the training hall. "I'll probably be back tonight."

"That's all right." Narumi grins at Gouto. "Keeping Raidou on his toes, eh, Gouto?"

"You should come with us," Gouto quips. Narumi doesn't understand this, of course, so Raidou is left to give his mentor a look.

"What did he say?" Narumi demands, scrutinizing Raidou's reaction. Just as quickly, he gives up. "Nevermind. I expect Tae to stop by soon."

With a mouthful of toast, Raidou can only cock his head, inquisitive.

"She just got back from some assignment in Mannen-Cho." Narumi folds his paper and sets it aside. "I hear she was there for a few days, though she didn't get a chance to tell me why." He grunts, stirring more cream into his coffee. "That dame sees more action than we do these days, and she's supposed to be following _our_ investigations."

After downing his milk with an audible gulp, Raidou reassures his boss that this is only a dry spell, and things will pick up soon. The Abaddon affair affected everyone in and around the Capital -- maybe there just hasn't been a chance for anything to happen, yet.

"I know," Narumi chuckles, cutting short his assurances. "Don't get me wrong, it's not that I mind being able to relax and sip coffee all day. But eventually, we will need real work."

Raidou bristles, fingering his empty glass. _I have real work,_ he thinks, defensive. Narumi's comment stings a little. They might not have any active cases, but Raidou is still the Capital's guardian and wayward demons continue to make mischief. Things like the Soulless Army, like Abaddon -- those are simply _unusual_ days for him. Raidou knows that his boss doesn't quite understand the full scope of his usual duties, but....

"You all right, there?" When he looks up, Narumi is peering at him with concern. "Looking a bit out of sorts ... did something happen?"

He shakes his head, reiterating that he only went to bed late. "I should be going," he adds, pushing his chair back.

"Hey, wait," Narumi pauses mid-rise, hand outstretched in the beginnings of a gesture, "you've got some...."

Some...? Raidou touches his lips, feels the wetness. Milk. He grabs his napkin and wipes it away. "Thank you, Narumi-san."

"Don't mention it," his boss replies, airily. He drops back into his chair and grabs the paper.

Raidou hesitates. He wants to say something, but Narumi is already reading and the moment has passed.

"Coming, Junior?" Gouto prods. His mentor is sitting by the door, tail twitching with impatience. "We've a long ride ahead of us -- unless you want to summon Great Kohryu."

Not for an errand to the Training Hall, Raidou decides. So he bids Narumi goodbye and heads out to catch a streetcar.

***

 

Once Gdon's Agilao stuns the Jubokko, Raidou takes advantage. His Kagutsuchi slices through the blazing bark, and the battle is over.

"STRONG SUMMONER!" Gdon praises, padding around Jubokko's corpse with admiration. What remains of the Frost demon slow-burns with Magnetite. Raidou sheathes his sword as the green energy washes over him, and directs a tiny smile at his blazing warrior-tiger.

Parvati hovers over to collect some Magnetite for herself. "Ah," she sighs, stretching, "a nice after-dinner workout!"

"Feels good to fight real demons, doesn't it?" Gouto asks, trotting up to Raidou's party. He rubs his ear with one paw. "I think we've done enough today. If you're ready to head back to Tsukudo-Cho, we can leave."

Raidou does feel better after a morning of training. His muscles feel honed and warm -- the ache in his sword-arm is welcome and familiar. His demons appreciated the session, too. Though several have assured him that the tubes are not what they seem, Raidou can't fathom living in one for long stretches of time.

He says he's ready to go, and returns Gdon and Parvati to their tubes. Gouto stretches out on the floorboards, waiting. Raidou lingers; he's four floors down and the Training Hall is now silent, save for the soft crackling of torches. It's a keen moment of peace he always savors.

The creaky old lift shatters the silence, of course. Raidou suppresses a sigh, and folds his arms as the ancient contraption brings him back to the surface.

It's nearly midday, but Shinoda's Nameless Shrine is perpetually shrouded in darkness. Raidou steps off the lift and onto the cobblestones, glancing at the shrine proper. He wonders whether he should step forth and ring the bell. He hasn't been summoned, and he doesn't really need to go to the Dark Realm.

"Not so desperate anymore, hm?" Gouto chuckles, ears twitching. "That's all right. We've fixed your lethargy."

Raidou gives him a look.

"What?"

He ignores his mentor, wandering over to the Inari statues to wish them a pleasant day. It's only the polite thing to do.

"Raidou Kuzunoha?" one disembodied voice asks. "Why, we haven't seen you in ages!"

Raidou apologizes, and admits that he hasn't been keeping up with his training lately.

"Well, no one will fault you for taking a little time for yourself."

 _Not even the Kuzunoha?_ Raidou wants to ask, but holds his tongue. They leave him be because he continues to please them -- and only for as long as he does.

"Young Kuzunoha!" the other statue pipes up, so abruptly that Raidou glances its way out of surprise. "We have news for you." He doesn't know how the Inari statues manage to emote, but he can _feel_ the statue lean in closer. "I don't know if you've felt anything, but we've gotten word that an unusual demon has arrived in the Capital."

"Unusual?" Gouto muses. "How so?"

"We don't know, yet," the first Inari admits. "We get this information second-hand, but this newcomer is, by all accounts, very strange. Apparently, no one's ever seen anything like it."

Raidou considers this, fingering the hilt of his sword. A new demonic presence was something of note, but if it were cause for concern, the Herald would have sent for him. At the same time, a demon no one has seen before? Now _that_ was interesting. "Gouto?"

"We'll be on our guard," his mentor tells the Inari. "Thanks for the information."

"Glad to be of service, Gouto-douji," the first statue says.

"Take care, young Kuzunoha," the second one adds.

Raidou bows his head in farewell, then turns on his heel and marches off the shrine grounds.

"Don't get excited," Gouto calls after him. He's walking so fast, the cat has to trot to keep up. "Just because it's an unusual demon doesn't mean it's an Abaddon."

Raidou's mouth twitches. Of course he knows that, but does this newcomer know that a Kuzunoha keeps order in the Capital? Can Gouto blame him for wanting a peek?

"I don't," his mentor replies. "I also don't blame you for being cautious. The last demons to rain down on the Capital were outright monsters. But demons move in and out of Japan all the time. It's nothing extraordinary. Besides, Junior, the Inari said no one has any real idea where to find this newcomer."

"We're detectives," Raidou reminds him, wearing a tiny smile.

Gouto makes a noncommittal noise. "Just don't get ahead of yourself, is all I'm saying. Let's head back to the Agency for some lunch, all right?"

Now that Gouto mentions it, all that fighting has made him hungry.

***

When Raidou comes home, he finds that Narumi is entertaining a familiar guest. Asakura "Kichou" Tae is sipping coffee at the table, chatting animatedly with Raidou's boss, who is probably on his fourth or fifth cup by now. They both glance over when Raidou makes his entrance.

"There you are!" Tae exclaims. "Raidou, have I got a story for you."

"A job for us, more precisely," Narumi puts in. He scratches his head. "Have a seat, Raidou."

He joins them, helping himself to one of the sandwiches Narumi has laid out. He suspects Tae brought them; she knows how slow their business has been lately. Raidou says they're delicious, just what he needed, and asks about Tae's assignment.

"You won't believe this," she starts, grinning from ear to ear. "Well, you might," she laments with a shrug, "but that comes with your line of work, doesn't it? Anyway, I'd heard a rumor about counterfeit money being used to gamble in Mannen-Cho. Naturally, I had to check it out.

"I wasn't entirely sure, but initially I thought there might be a connection to the whole Abaddon and Luck Locust affair -- you know, people who feel like their luck hasn't changed, or only gotten worse since the whole incident. It makes sense that after Tatsumi's string of gambling victories that other people may try to tip the odds in their favor." She pauses to take a sip of coffee.

"She likes building the suspense," Narumi laughs, lifting his own cup.

"That wasn't particularly suspenseful," Gouto comments dryly. Raidou tries not to smile.

Tae continues, "But it wasn't nearly that convoluted. Near as I've been able to tell, there is no connection to what happened a few weeks ago. I was a little disappointed at losing a possible scoop like that, but also -- sort of relieved," she admits with a shaky laugh.

Gouto's ears twitch. "So, what, this is just a case of counterfeit money?" Raidou relays the question for him.

"Oh, more than that. It's counterfeit _gold._ " Tae lets this sink in for a moment. "And there's enough of this stuff going around to start turning heads -- namely, Satake's."

Raidou looks to Narumi, who quirks an eyebrow back at him. "This is where we come in," the detective says. "Soon after Tae got here, I got word from Fukugawa-Cho that Satake wants to meet with us. Or rather, you," he clarifies, rubbing the back of his head. "How quickly I'm being overshadowed, huh?" Despite his words, Narumi is smiling and his tone doesn't seem particularly self-deprecating. "Tae has heard rumors that some of the people handling this gold are going missing."

"I also heard rumors that Satake _isn't_ the one behind the disappearances," the reporter adds. "Not that I ... well, I'm not sure what I thought. Think. Anyway, Raidou, I know I was only in Mannen-Cho for a couple of days, but I really wish I'd been able to get more details for you."

Raidou points out that she has already given them some good information. He wonders what use one would have for counterfeit gold, especially in Mannen-Cho, where even unusual _luck_ is viewed with scrutiny. Moreover, why counterfeit gold at all? Why not only counterfeit yen?

"The use of gold in particular is notable," Narumi deduces, sinking deep into his chair as he thinks. He taps his lips as he contemplates. "Yen would be much easier. It's not nearly as noticeable as gold."

"Who gambles with gold, anyway?" Tae asks. It's rhetorical, but they're all giving it some thought. "Especially in Mannen-Cho."

"She's right," Gouto agrees. "That place isn't exactly a high-end establishment. Using gold -- counterfeit or not -- to get ahead over there just seems grossly unnecessary."

Raidou suggests there is something else at play here, and that maybe he should head over to Fukugawa-Cho this afternoon. Satake probably knows more than they do, and if he isn't the one behind the users's disappearances, then his place would be the best to start.

"I agree," Narumi says. "Raidou and I will head over there right now."

"He just wants to go to the bathhouse," Gouto mutters, and trots to the door.

Raidou ducks his head, biting back another smile as he gives a halfhearted a nod. "Right this second?" he asks, looking up again.

"This _very_ second?" Tae elaborates, giving his boss a pointed stare.

Narumi is already standing up. "Uh," he dithers, glancing at Raidou's half-eaten sandwich. "No, of course not. Gosh, how insensitive of me." He plops back into his seat. "After lunch, I meant. After lunch. Finish your sandwich, Raidou."

***

The streetcar ride to Fukugawa-Cho is relatively silent. Narumi makes small-talk and Raidou mentions the mysterious foreign demon, but there isn't much to do but speculate.

"I guess demons move around as much as people do," Narumi figures.

"Forget the foreign demon for now, Junior," Gouto advises. "I agree it's more interesting than counterfeit gold, but you need money for Narumi's coffee, right?"

Raidou nods, and spends the remainder of the trip looking out the window.

When Narumi and Raidou arrive at Satake's bathhouse, the two strong-arms guarding its entrance simply wave them through.

"I love this place," Narumi says when they're in the locker room. "I wish I could come here more often."

Raidou nods, folding his uniform into a neat pile. He leaves his hat on, ignoring Narumi's exasperated expression, and together they head out into the men's section.

"I can't believe this is _work,_ " Narumi quips, running fingers through his brown curls.

Raidou takes a deep breath, inhaling the humid vapors. Condensation is visible on the walls and most benches are occupied by other patrons. Narumi and Raidou pad across the wet floors in search of Satake, eventually finding him and two of his associates lounging in one of the farther corners.

"Narumi," the yakuza drawls, spreading his hands in welcome. "Thank you for coming." He bows his head to Raidou. "Devil Summoner. This place isn't too hot for your cat?"

"I want to hear this story," Gouto says. "Though I suppose there are worse places to be than a wet bathhouse with a bunch of naked men." For all his attitude, Raidou notes that his mentor doesn't look happy standing in puddles.

He assures Satake that Gouto is fine, and asks about the counterfeit gold.

"See," Satake says, "now that's part of the problem. This gold, it _isn't_ counterfeit. It's real gold -- or so they tell me. I certainly haven't been able to get my hands on any to verify. But it's foreign, and definitely not in circulation." He folds his arms and addresses Narumi. "If one person comes back from abroad and wants to throw away their precious foreign gold in the back alleys of Mannen-Cho, well, that's not my problem. A bet's a bet.

"What _is_ my problem, is that people who are handling this gold are disappearing. Whether they win or lose, as these gold marks change hands, the people playing them are quietly vanishing. Some of these people owe my men for ... separate incidents. So you see, Detective, I'm losing money."

"And you think the disappearances have something to do with the supernatural?"

Satake shrugs. "That would be your department, wouldn't it, Detective? Or more accurately, Raidou XIV's?" The yakuza cracks his knuckles. "All I know is that these men and women who have vanished -- the only thing they have in common is that they won or lost these strange gold pieces. And if my gamblers keep disappearing, I keep losing players and money."

Narumi nods. "Has anyone said what these gold pieces look like? Maybe there's something distinctive about them."

Satake is shaking his head. "Oval-shaped gold, and quite thick as far as gold goes. There is some kind of odd design on the coins, a sort of goblin, if the rumors are accurate."

"Coin goblins?" Narumi asks, incredulous. "What country carries goblin coins?"

"None I know of," Gouto comments.

"I don't know, either," Raidou says. He suggests trying his hand looking around Mannen-Cho, since the gamblers seem to start there.

"Good idea," Narumi agrees. "We'll go together, right now."

"Watch your backs," Satake cautions them, languidly scratching underneath his chin. "If this is a Devil Summoner affair, there's bound to be something nasty at the other end. I'd like to keep our ... mutually beneficial relationship alive and well."

"Thanks, we'll keep that in mind," Narumi assures the yakuza, and then they make a hasty exit.

***

Raidou's streetcar pass has proven to be one of the greatest gifts he's ever received. After arriving in Mannen-Cho, Narumi pauses long enough to obtain two anko buns. He shoves one into Raidou's hand before insisting they split up.

"I'll head around and see if anything has cropped up since Tae made her own rounds," he explains. "You can ... you know, do whatever Devil Summoners do to get information."

"Summon demons," Raidou states, wryly.

"What a thought," Gouto half-laughs.

Narumi gives Raidou an impish grin. "I'd say you know what I meant, but that was almost a joke, so I'm proud of you."

In response to this, Raidou schools his expression into impassivity and adjusts his katana.

"Meet back here in an hour," Narumi says, giving up.

"Let's go, Junior." Gouto is already trotting further into the district. Raidou catches up, and asks if they're heading to the gambling parlor first. "Exactly. It might not lead anywhere, but if there is something arcane about that foreign gold, then my guess is a considerable amount of demonic energy will be detectable at the parlor."

The streets of Mannen-Cho have never been particularly exciting, and they aren't even now. The sleepy district belies the intensive gambling that goes on behind closed doors. Raidou and Gouto weave through the houses and alleys until they reach the parlor. The woman standing guard outside is the closest thing to a bouncer Mannen-Cho has, prim and proper with neatly-folded hands and a pleasant smile.

She cocks her head at Raidou. "You look familiar." She pauses, thinking. "Oh, the Tatsumi affair, right?"

Raidou nods, and says he's just about a regular now. He asks about the recent use of foreign gold.

The woman shrugs a single shoulder. "You'll be hard-pressed to get anybody here talking about it. Given the fact that everyone who handles the coins ends up disappearing, most are content enough to pretend they've never seen 'em."

There must be some who still coveted the coins, though. Raidou lowers his head in thought. Such fads don't whittle away so quickly. He looks up again and asks if he can go inside.

"Feel free," she offers, waving him in. "You still strike me as a little young -- must be the uniform -- but I won't stop you."

Raidou thanks her. The atmosphere changes as soon as he enters the small parlor. There aren't many people inside, but the tension in the air is palpable. There are six men seated around the low table. They're bent over a game and, after giving Raidou a cursory glance, don't seem to care two wits about him. Since he's being effectively ignored, Raidou eschews interrogation in favor of summoning a demon.

"This place is about as exciting as a knitting circle," Gouto comments. No one pays any mind to the meowing cat who shadows Raidou.

For his part, Raidou produces a tube from beneath his cape as he moves to the other room. There is no one here, but he uses discretion, anyway, releasing Poltergeist as quietly as he can manage. The little Wind demon is ecstatic, both to be out and to be part of the investigation.

"I want to play detective!" it yelps, twirling about Raidou's head. "What should I do?"

Raidou, in a quiet tone, asks the demon if it senses anything unusual about the gambling parlor.

"Hmmm...." Poltergeist squints its yellow eyes shut, concentrating hard. "There is ... something funny! Smells funny. Kind of tickles!" it adds, spinning in its pot.

"Follow it," Raidou commands. "See if you can find its source, then come back and tell me what you saw."

Poltergeist is a young demon: easy to train and eager to please. Raidou's command may as well have been an invitation to play a game. "Whee!" it cries, jubilant. "I get to be a detective!"

Raidou reminds it to be careful, and then Poltergeist is off, following its own demonic senses. He folds his arms and leans back against the wall, settling in for a wait.

"Why did you send the demon to scout on its own?" Gouto asks.

Even after all they've been through, his mentor still tests him. Raidou explains himself: since Poltergeist _did_ detect something otherworldly about the parlor, it is very possible that the whole business of foreign gold is the work of a particularly malicious demon. Whether it is or isn't, a Devil Summoner actively walking the streets in search of clues may give some cause for alarm -- besides which, he may scare off the perpetrators or send them into hiding. Not only is Poltergeist faster than Raidou, but humans won't know it's around and other demons won't view the little demon as a threat. If Poltergeist finds anything, it can explain it all to Raidou, and then they will be able to move in.

"Very good, Junior," Gouto praises him. His tail swishes the floorboards. "You do the clan proud."

Raidou bows his head, partly in thanks and partly in a show of humility. He wonders if Narumi is having any kind of luck, and how long Poltergeist will be.

***

Poltergeist has been in Mannen-Cho before. It's a quiet little hovel but has an uneven, complicated infu-infa-it looks silly. Especially from above. Poltergeist studies the lines of houses and alleyways, not really knowing what it's looking for but now and again catching a wisp of -- there! Another demon, a _big_ demon ... Poltergeist can smell it on the wind.

"See?" it preens, wishing Raidou were here. "I'm just like a grown-up!"

Wait -- the scent is moving. Poltergeist follows; down, down, through an alley, past the unsuspecting townsfolk. One of its hands even brushes a woman's cheek as he sails by, and she is none the wiser -- probably figures it was an insect. Poltergeist keeps concentrating, and sniffing, and it's getting closer and the Summoner is going to be proud! Closer, closer still, past that strange house where males dress as females and -- Poltergeist freezes in front of the next door.

It's here. It's -- _immense._ A Pagan order, by the signature. The air rumbles with power; Poltergeist's hands ball into fists, it starts to shake and it's only out of sheer loyalty to its Summoner that it doesn't flee.

"You must look," it whimpers to itself, inching to the window. "Raidou ordered it, Raidou ordered it." This becomes a mantra. Poltergeist creeps closer, closer --

 _"AAAUUGHHH!"_

\-- and trips over its own levitation at the blood-curdling shriek. It looks through the window, eyes widening as far as they can.

There is a human in the house, pinned up against the far wall by the scariest demon Poltergeist has ever seen. It isn't the hulking build, shadow-licked armor or even the grotesque claws wrapped around the human's neck. This demon has no head. "Uwaa!" Poltergeist whines, petrified.

"P-please," the human is choking, muffled by the walls. "PleAUGHH!"

Poltergeist covers its eyes with a shrill cry. The human is dead, he's dead; Poltergeist knows that sound: crushed bone and torn flesh. Dead, dead -- a fresh meal for more malicious demons. It should have done something. The Summoner would have done something. But what could it do? Cast Zan? Zan won't do anything against a demon like that!

Doors are opening and people are shouting. Cries of "Something happened!" and "It came from next door!" come from all directions. One of those men who dress like women is the first to arrive, and screams as shrill as any female.

"Summoner," Poltergeist whimpers, floating back out of the growing crowd and curling in on itself. "Summoner! Raidou! I'm scared...."

"SUMMONER?"

The gruff baritone comes from behind Poltergeist, and sends a chill up its little spine. It turns around.

***

Raidou meets up with Narumi in time for the two of them to follow the commotion.

"We picked a good day to come," his boss remarks, easily keeping pace. "I take it you didn't find anything else?"

"Your Poltergeist never came back," Gouto points out.

Raidou frowns, concerned. He quickly explains to Narumi that the demon he sent to scout never returned. Normally, his demons bore relatively easily and don't like to be without him for too long -- especially the young ones.

Narumi makes an agreeable grunt. "I hope your demon is all right."

"Do you sense anything?" Gouto asks.

Raidou takes a deep breath, focuses. Nothing. He'll try again when they stop running.

The crowd of on-lookers is too large for the narrow streets of Mannen-Cho. The police have already arrived and are attempting to control the interested. Raidou exchanges looks with Narumi; they haven't always had an easy time with the official law enforcement. For whatever reason, though, this time Narumi and Raidou are simply waved on through.

The house is untouched -- no signs of any struggle. This just reinforces the idea of a supernatural attack; a demon is only visible to humans when it so chooses. The victim would have had no idea what was about to happen. Speaking of the victim ... Raidou studies what used to be the man's throat. The bloody, mangled mess is enough to turn his stomach -- but more than that, Raidou discerns that the wound is demonic.

"Some sort of awful claw work, here," Gouto figures, venturing closer for a better look.

Narumi has one hand on his hip and the other on his hat as he considers the body. "Before this, he looks to have thought mighty well of himself. Look at him: nice blue suit, clean shaven, expensive shoes ... he was doing well. I wonder _why_?" he asks, pointedly.

Raidou figures that's his cue. Taking care not to brush his cape through any blood, he squats and starts padding the body. He finds what they're looking for in the right breast pocket.

"The authorities will think we're robbing the dead," Gouto comments, but he's just as interested in the pair of loose coins Raidou produces.

"Our counterfeit gold," Narumi figures, following Raidou to the nearby table.

The gold is heavy, clearly real. Raidou sets them upon the wood, goblin-side up.

Gouto leaps onto the table. "What an unsettling little man that is," he quips. "What's on the other side?"

Obligingly, Raidou turns one over, revealing some sort of a sigil: a stylized Roman "R."

"Great," Narumi sighs. "Roman alphabet. That narrows it down."

Raidou shakes his head. Strange demon attacks that come with personalized gold coins ... wait. He asks Gouto if he thinks this may be connected to the Inari's foreign demon.

His mentor actually has the grace to look sheepish, flattening his ears. "You're right, Junior."

"Foreign demon?" Narumi echoes. He glances from Raidou to Gouto and back again. "Well, in any case, is there anything else you two need to do here? The coroner and such will probably be here soon, and we'll have no choice but to let them clear things out."

"One minute," Raidou assures his boss, deftly producing a tube and releasing the Volt order demon within.

Raiju materializes, flickering in and out of its electric existence as it surveys the bloody scene. "Hells yeah!" it cries excitedly. "Anarchy in the Capital!"

Raidou commands it to inspect the room. Raiju complies, using its Volt order powers to illuminate the concentrated demonic energy and make it easier for Raidou to _feel_ the demon that did this.

"Whoa," Narumi says, holding out a hand. "What did you just do?" He looks around, clearly confused. "What am I feeling?"

"There was a powerful demon here," Raidou informs him. "Like nothing I've ever seen. It might still be around here, waiting." He looks at Gouto.

"Dark Realm," his mentor says.

"Dark Mannen-Cho," Raidou relays to Narumi, and grabs the goblin coins, just in case. "We've got to go." He gestures to the corpse. "I'll leave this to you."

"Sure." Narumi's voice is dripping with sarcasm. "Why not?"

Raidou brushes past the police, elbows his way through the crowd, and runs out of Mannen-Cho. No one gets in his way; anyone rushing around with a katana and a gun doesn't invite much trouble.

"Time may be of the essence here," Gouto advises him as they leave the district.

Raidou nods and, as soon as the coast is relatively clear, beats the Thunder Taiko.

***

Dark Mannen-Cho is just as quiet as its human-world counterpart, just a little more ominous. Raidou and Gouto wander it blindly for a short while, looking up and down dark alleys and inside abandoned houses.

"Hold up, Junior." Gouto arches his back, as though he's ready to pounce. "Over there, a Mokoi. They always know more than they let on."

Raidou manages not to wince or roll his eyes. He can't stop an eye twitch, though. Over his many years of training and field experience, some things have remained constant -- one of them being that Mokoi are just _weird._

He approaches the Mokoi, who sways to and fro in place whilst tossing and catching his little boomerang.

"Hello, Sunny Summoner!" Mokoi sing-songs, twirling on one stubby leg. "You look like you're in a jam without a spoon."

Gouto mumbles an aside: "Good start."

Raidou asks if Mokoi feels like talking. Specifically, if he feels like talking about goblin coins or strange, aggressive demons.

"Plenty of aggressive demons out in these parts; comes with all the pickling. Pickling in jars. Or tubes," Mokoi adds, freezing up and eyeing Raidou warily.

Raidou sighs quietly. He throws his cape back over his shoulders, puts a hand on his katana, and asks Mokoi if he feels like fighting, instead.

"Hey, whoa!" Mokoi panics, gaze trained on the tubes revealed on Raidou's uniform. "None of that! None of that. Do you always jump right to the rocky bananas?" The Pagan order demon hops from one foot to another. Well, sort of; he doesn't really have any feet. "You got inquiries. I may have general information. Or maybe some wasabi. What exactly is your contribution?"

"Eight Life Stones," Raidou offers, hefting one of his item pouches.

Mokoi freezes up again, staring at the proffered satchel. He twitches a few times, but finally reaches for it. "Not bad, for some value of bad. Thanks, Summoner."

"So what have you got for us?" Gouto prods.

Mokoi goes back to dancing on his stubby legs. "Well, I know a Celtic giant who collects British gold. The gold's a self-portrait, which may or may not involve goblins. Anyway, word is a few humans have been dragged to the Dark Realm."

"By this Celtic giant?" Raidou asks.

Mokoi nods. "In a pickle, they were. With relish. The big mistake was handling that gold -- which is kind of funny, since most Dullahans hate gold. Maybe it's a crazy Celt?"

"A Dullahan?" Gouto balks. "In the Capital?"

"Crazy, crazy Celtic Pagans," Mokoi continues. "I hear all kinds of complaints about this new bitter lemon. He comes in from Capital country, attacks anyone, human or demon, but is too strong for anyone to challenge. Heeey, Summoner," the Pagan's eyes brighten, "incidentally, did you know one of your demons is floating around here somewhere?"

Poltergeist, Raidou realizes. Good, at least the little demon is safe. "But where would I find this Dullahan?"

"Around the corner," Mokoi says simply.

This is punctuated by a scream that makes Raidou and Gouto start.

"What?" Mokoi asks in response to their looks. Then he has to leap out of their way. "We're both Pagans!" he calls after them. "And you could smell Dullahan a mile away!"

The headless monstrosity that must be Dullahan is indeed right around the corner, and Raidou takes a moment to balk at the demon's bulk. Pagan Dullahan looks like a decapitated black knight, and smells like a putrid corpse. He towers over his victim, a cowering human in a tattered three-piece suit.

"Why, Junior," Gouto observes, with the calm only hundreds of years can grant, "you almost look shocked."

"Dullahan!" Raidou shouts -- and before the demon has turned around, he's unsheathed Kagutsuchi and summoned Tam Lin and Oni. "Welcome to Edo," he continues, making clear his intentions by sliding his feet into a ready stance.

The human picks that moment to try fleeing. Raidou schools his expression to non-emotion when Dullahan kicks his victim with swiftness that belies his size. The man sails into the side of a house and falls into a lifeless heap. Raidou can only hope he isn't too badly hurt.

"A DEVIL SUMMONER," Dullahan muses, unimpressed. The Pagan demon reaches for a white coiled whip at his waist, and only once it cracks against the ground does Raidou realize it's a flail of human bone.

"Steady on, Junior." Gouto still sounds calm, but Raidou can tell he's not as confident as usual.

"Master," Tam Lin cautions, "beware Dullahan's shadow fire." Raidou notes the pitch black smoke that licks along their enemy's armor. "It appears to be no more than ephemeral clouds, yet if he wills it, the shadows will incinerate or cut."

Raidou addresses the foreign demon. "What business do you have in Japan?"

"NO BUSINESS OF YOURS." Dullahan takes a step closer. Raidou and his demons hold their ground.

Oni wipes his yellow mouth with one big red arm. "Looks like a tough one, boss." He clenches his clawed fists and sucks back some of his drool. "Can we just get him?"

Raidou is a breath away from commanding a charge when Dullahan's free hand begins familiar motions. "Magidyne!" he shouts a warning, and everyone dives for cover. Raidou rolls into a crouch, sure to land near the injured human, and concentrates on strengthening Kagutsuchi's Magnetite shield. The circle of magic flame spreads from Dullahan out, but Raidou manages to stop it from doing any real damage.

He's quietly thankful that the Dark Realm's architecture is uncannily resilient.

"Go!" he orders his demons. Always one to lead by example, Raidou makes the first cut, parrying the bone-whip and using the resulting pull to leap over Dullahan, providing some distraction so Oni can rush in. When Raidou lands, he spins around in time to see Oni charge into Dullahan, who staggers -- giving enough slack for Raidou to free his sword from the whip. The victory is short-lived: Dullahan counters with one of his powerful fists, and Oni doesn't dodge in time, losing his naginata once he is struck. Raidou draws his gun and fires -- the bullets bounce off Dullahan without any effect, but they're annoying enough that the Pagan demon slows his stride toward the fallen Oni.

"Tch, that's a tough one," the Fury demon spits, picking himself up from the ground. "What next, boss?"

Tam Lin casts Zio, which proves about as effective as Oni's head-on charge. "A formidable foe," the Skill demon calls to them. "Among the most feared in Ireland."

"TAM LIN." Dullahan startles them all by speaking again. "I THOUGHT I RECOGNIZED YOU ... HAVE THE LITTLE PIXIES RELEASED YOU FROM THEIR CLUTCHES?" He laughs -- a hollow, ominous sound -- and cracks his whip.

Raidou raises a hand, forestalling Tam Lin's rise to the bait, and asks Dullahan if he wishes to negotiate.

"I DON'T PARLAY WITH VERMIN, SUMMONER." Dullahan's armor creaks as he moves, taking a few steps toward Raidou. "BUT SINCE I MUST MAKE HASTE, HEED MINE OFFER: LEAVE NOW, AND YOU WILL LIVE TO COLLECT MORE WEAKLINGS FOR YOUR LITTLE PHIALS."

"Weaklings?!" Oni roars, fists balled and fangs gleaming.

Raidou silences the Fury demon, but Tam Lin's own offense cannot be contained. "You are too proud, Dullahan. You would be wise to welcome my lord Raidou's invitation; his reputation precedes him -- a fact of which you would be aware, had you bothered to familiarize yourself with this country."

Dullahan laughs again. "SUCH DEVOTION! AS I EXPECTED OF A CARTERHAUGH DEMON: FRAIL AND WEAK-WILLED, SO THAT HUMANS AND EVEN FAERIE CAN COMMAND HIM."

"You _dare?_ " Tam Lin growls, in an uncharacteristic loss of composure. He twirls his spear and shifts to a ready stance. "Raidou, you cannot reason with this cretin. This conversation is over!"

Despite Tam Lin's definitive words, it's Dullahan who lands the first blow, striking out with his so-called shadow fire -- tentacles of black flame, in all directions. Raidou leaps; time slows to a near-stop as he watches the shadows pass below him. To his left, Oni is not so fortunate. The Fury demon belts out something that is half-roar, half-scream, and Raidou's eyes widen as the black fire engulfs him.

Thinking fast, Raidou unholsters two tubes. He speaks two familiar commands, at once re-sealing Tam Lin and summoning Sati. "Heal him!" he orders the Fire demon, even as he maneuvers himself around Dullahan's attacks. He doesn't know if Sati's immunity to flame extends to Gaelic demon-fire, but it's all he has.

"Oh, dear," Sati frets, even as the warmth of her healing magic spreads across the battlefield -- across all of them. "What have you all gotten into?" One of his most seasoned demons, Sati switches gears seamlessly, turning around to unleash a barrage of her own fire to combat Dullahan's flames.

"YET ANOTHER?" the Pagan muses. "HOW MANY TOYS DO YOU CARRY, SUMMONER?"

Raidou doesn't answer, and Sati wisely doesn't, either. With Dullahan's ire directed elsewhere, Raidou returns Oni to his tube. Brute force is not going to win this battle. Instead, he summons Long. The blue dragon appears with a crackle of electricity and an accompanying roar.

Dullahan turns at the sound, whip-arm raised.

"Now!" Raidou commands, and Long unleashes his Glacial Blast.

Sati makes a hasty retreat as the merciless bar of Frost magic makes a beeline for Dullahan. It strikes true, and the Pagan demon is drowned in white-blue ice crystals. He shouts something, but it's unintelligible over the noise of wind and ice. A chill creeps down Raidou's spine; the temperature has dropped a couple of degrees.

Raidou signals Sati, and they take their positions, prepared to attack as soon as Long's spell ends. Funny thing about ice magic: it freezes you in your tracks. Dullahan will be stunned for a moment, and that moment will be theirs.

When the concentrated blizzard fades, though, Dullahan is nowhere to be found.

"Hmm," Long intones. "A most worthy foe." The dragon circles into the sky, looking for their Pagan opponent.

Raidou waves a hand. "Sati, heal the human." She goes to obey as Gouto joins him, sitting at his feet. "Long?"

"I don't sense him any longer," the dragon admits, returning to Raidou's level. "A coward, to flee from battle."

Raidou only nods, and returns Long to his tube. He glances over at Sati, who is carefully measuring the amount of her power to safely use on a normal human.

Gouto looks at the human, then at the scene of the battle, and then at Raidou. "Did you notice anything unusual about that?"

His mentor gets a flat stare in reply.

"I _meant,_ did you notice anything strange about Dullahan himself?" Gouto's ear twitches. "No head."

Raidou blinks.

"I'll admit I don't know much about Gaelic demons," Gouto grants, "but I have been around awhile. I remember bits and pieces, and I'm pretty sure the Dullahan's claim to fame is its tendency to carry its head wherever it goes."

Raidou digests this information, and deduces that despite being headless, this particular Dullahan has no trouble seeing his surroundings. He returns Long to his tube and summons Tam Lin in the dragon's place.

"My lord," the knight demurs, and Raidou can see the complaint coming. "You dismissed me in battle. An unwise choice."

Raidou asks him how he knows Dullahan, and why his head is missing.

"I've met this Dullahan many times, in the past." As Tam Lin speaks, Raidou directs him to carry the unconscious human and their party makes its way to the nearest portal between worlds. "I never fought him, as the Fairy Queen forbade such violence in Carterhaugh, but he used to ride through our wood fairly frequently. Typically, a Dullahan rides to a death: where one stops, someone dies. Dullahan stopped in Carterhaugh more than once, but the queen would not fall for his wiles." He pauses. "Now that you mention it, I've never seen him without his head. A ghastly thing it was, too." Tam Lin looks up, sensing something.

Sati spins around, pointing one fiery finger to the sky. "From over there!"

Raidou follows their gazes, hand on his katana. Poltergeist's appearance is strikingly anti-climatic.

"M-master," the Force demon hesitates, "I, I'm sorry."

Raidou's demons stand down, and he gestures for the young demon to rejoin them.

"I'm very s-sorry." Eye-level with Raidou, Poltergeist's round black eyes seem to wobble. "Dullahan, he -- I saw him kill the human, but I couldn't...." The young demon hiccups, cowers in anticipation of Raidou's ire.

But Raidou isn't angry, or disappointed. He tells Poltergeist to be strong, not to worry, there was nothing that could be done in this case, and returns the demon to its tube to rest.

"The little one escaped relatively unscathed," Tam Lin comments.

"Poor dear," Sati remarks. "It was its weakness that saved it; Dullahan probably dismissed it as a waste of time."

Raidou gives Gouto a sidelong glance. "Too soft?" he queries, not quite sarcastically.

"No," his mentor replies, not quite nastily. "It's unrealistic to assume Poltergeist would have stood a chance against a demon like Dullahan."

"A Dullahan never goes anywhere without its head," Tam Lin explains, once the party has resumed its pace. "Being mostly resigned to Carterhaugh, I'm afraid I cannot offer you any insight as to why this Dullahan currently chooses to travel without his. However, it seems unusual."

"Most unusual," Sati puts in, hovering alongside them and listening avidly. "I'm sure carrying it under your arm all day is a hassle, but would you go anywhere without your head?"

"I probably wouldn't," Gouto interjects, flatly halting the conversation before it gets any odder. "There's the portal. Once we're back in Mannen-Cho, I'm going to write all this down."

Tam Lin stops in his tracks. "My lord, the human stirs."

Raidou pulls his hat down to his eyes for a moment, fighting off a headache. "Put him down." Once Tam Lin complies, Raidou returns him and Sati to their tubes. Then he summons the Sandman he keeps just for such instances. Humans who inadvertently get involved in demon business usually welcome the notion that it's all in their heads. "Gouto, use your shorthand."

"Hilarious," the cat replies, taking out his notebook. "And you, interviewing a trauma victim in the Dark Realm."

"It's all a dream," Raidou says, turning to their new friend.

The young man is unscathed, thanks to Sati's Mediarama, though his clothing is in tatters. He's sitting up, but rubbing his head and looking bewildered. "I'm dreaming?"

Raidou nods.

" _Allll_ a dream," Sandman says, playing his part expertly. He dances around them in a merry circle and Raidou can _feel_ Gouto roll his eyes.

Raidou wishes he could roll his eyes, too; Sandman is so annoying. "Why was that headless knight after you?"

The young man smacks his forehead. "Of _course_ I'm dreaming! Why else would Tatsumi's boyfriend be rescuing me from headless enforcers?"

Raidou pulls down his hat again. "What do you mean, enforcer?"

"Well, I really can't say...." He averts his eyes.

"You're dreaming, muttonhead," Gouto barks.

"You're dreaming," Raidou reminds him.

"Right, okay. Well," he fishes into his pockets, "I knew accepting one of these was a bad idea." Raidou knows what's coming, but he still blinks when the other man produces a familiar gold goblin coin. "But they're worth so much yen. Real thick gold, and whatnot. I didn't think anything would happen to me; I only won the coin, fair and square. It's not like I accepted it from the guy who makes them."

"Someone makes these?" Raidou asks. "Makes and distributes them?"

The young man nods, eagerly. "Yeah, some guy from the country makes them and gives them to people for gambling. Not just anyone, though. You've gotta have certain ... criteria."

"Like what?"

"If I had it, I'd have gotten more gold, right?" He pauses, tapping his chin. "You know, the more I think about it, the more this dream makes sense. I mean, this _sort_ of looks like my town, but it's a little off. And the whole demon coming to collect a debt -- that was really weird. I didn't think you could hire demons to collect money. Hey!" He reaches out to Raidou, coming to a conclusion. "Maybe I'm having this dream to scare me off the path I'm on. You know? Maybe I should stop gambling, get a real job, and go see my mother."

"I'm not writing this drivel down," Gouto says.

"Here, take it." Raidou accepts the goblin coin. "This is some kind of sign. You take my coin, and I'm going to get on with my life. When I wake up, it will be the start of the new me."

Raidou nods, and signals to Sandman. The Pagan demon casts Dormina, and within moments, the unlucky young man is sleeping like a baby.

"Let's hope Dullahan doesn't come back for him," Gouto says, tucking his notebook away.

"I doubt he will," Raidou says, flipping his third goblin coin.

***

The Narumi Detective Agency is usually a little messy, but it's currently looking more like Tae's _Capital Daily_ office. Stacks of books and manuscripts -- many courtesy of Victor -- are piled atop various tables, and any free surface is occupied by an avid reader. They've gone through about six pots of coffee, perused countless words, and flipped through hundreds of pages.

"A demon from the country," Narumi muses, mostly to himself, "who makes gold and gives it away. Who happens to employ _another_ demon to strong-arm the gamblers, for ... some reason. We haven't gotten quite that far yet."

"We haven't gotten anywhere at all," Tae reminds him. "The only demon particularly known for making gold is the one known as Berith, and we're all in agreement that this isn't his work." She glances at Raidou for confirmation; he nods.

"We've snagged every sort of compendium we could get our hands on," Gouto is muttering, pawing through the yellowed pages of his current tome. "And nothing. Some demons who hoard gold, yes, but don't just hand it out. Not coins with little dancing goblins on one side, and a Roman 'R' on the other. Who employ _Dullahans._ "

"Dullahans are afraid of gold," Raidou reiterates, tapping the open volume of Irish folklore on his table. The Mokoi's aside comment proved more useful than it probably thought.

"More weirdness," Narumi puts in, making a helpless gesture with his hands. "Why a demon like Dullahan would be afraid of a little gold is something else entirely, but _if_ he is so afraid of gold that a coin would send him packing, why would he be hunting down the gamblers who accepted this _other_ demon's gold?"

It really doesn't make sense, Raidou agrees, nodding. What could have made a demon as demonstrably powerful as Dullahan into an errand boy?

"His head," Gouto realizes, standing on top of his book. "I got so preoccupied about the goldmaker, I forgot about the whole headless thing. Raidou, the demon making the gold has Dullahan's estranged head." His tail twitches. "How else do you control such a demon?"  
Raidou nods, and relays Gouto's deduction. It certainly makes sense, and would account for Dullahan's behavior. But it doesn't give them any clues as to who is behind the gold -- or why.

"I might have that answer," Tae ventures, raising a finger. Her other index finger is pressed firmly onto an illustration.

Narumi and Raidou almost trip over each other going to join her. "Well, I'll be damned. Raidou, the coin! The coin!"

He fishes one out and puts it on the table. By comparison, the art in the book is crude and less polished, but the similarities are unmistakable -- the pose, the fire, the dated attire.... The figure in the book is the figure on the coin: a bald, hunchbacked, potbellied goblin clad in some sort of lederhosen.

Gouto lands on the table and scrutinizes the two. "Where did Tae get this book?"

"It was in the pile Victor gave us," she answers Raidou's translation. "I think he gave us everything he had down there. It's an old collection of stories. It's English, though, so I was just flipping through it. Ironic, huh?" she adds with a grin.

Narumi peers down at the picture's caption. "R-Rumper-sut-taro--" he gives up, sits back, "what is this, German?"

"Rumpelstiltskin," Tae attempts. "My English isn't _too_ bad," she says to their stares. "But now that we have a name, let's get a Japanese book."

With something definitive to search for, it isn't long before they uncover a comprehensive entry on the story of Rumpelstiltskin. As they read, all crowded around one book, coffee mugs in three hands, Raidou fingers the stylized "R" on the coin. No question; Rumpelstiltskin is making gold and giving it away to be gambled. Somehow, he has Dullahan in his command. For some reason, he's killing people who touch the gold he makes.

"Wanting their children doesn't make any sense," Tae says, crossing off another of their proposed motives. "I don't get it. What could these gamblers possibly have that Rumpelstiltskin would want?"

"And where do we find him?" Narumi wonders. "Probably in the Capital, especially if Raidou heard there are new demons in the area, but--"

"Tsukigata," Raidou says, thinking on what Mokoi said. "A demon I spoke to mentioned that Dullahan rode in from 'Capital country.' Tsukigata is as good a place as any to start."

"Geirin can help," Gouto puts in. "We can head out now, and ask her if she's noticed anything unusual."

"Is your job always this weird?" Tae wonders, touching the brim of her hat. "You just came back from fighting a headless knight, and now you're taking off across the Capital based on assumptions made from a fairytale meant to frighten children."

Raidou shrugs, and reminds her that most demons are "just fairytales."

***

The headwind atop the Great Kohryu is particularly violent today. Raidou ducks close to the dragon's neck and tightens his grip on the silver mane. Below them, Raidou can see the vast expanse of the Tsukigata countryside -- where the Dullahan and Rumpelstiltskin are most probably hiding. Raidou made sure to stop at the Shinoda Nameless Shrine to report to the Herald before leaving. When he did, they discovered that a report had come from Geirin, as well.

"Geirin will meet us at the bus stop." Even though Gouto is sitting in front of him, using his body as a shield from much of the wind, his mentor has to shout. "From there, you might want to consider splitting up."

Raidou nods. The thought's already occurred to him. Geirin may have a better idea than he does about where to search, but they'll cover a lot more ground this way.

"Soon I will descend." Headwind or no, Raidou never has any trouble hearing the Great Kohryu's disembodied voice. "I wish you a successful hunt, Raidou XIV. I doubt the European demons will elude you for long."

"Thank you." Raidou braces for the dragon's landing. "I'm sorry to trouble you so often."

"Nonsense."

The bus stop is deserted, as usual. Buses to Tsukigata run but twice a day. Only Geirin awaits them, and when they get closer, Raidou can see Epi sitting on her shoulder. Kohryu touches down, and Raidou and Gouto jump off. The Great Dragon is not one for long goodbyes; he nods to Raidou and Geirin before taking off again. Raidou closes his eyes against the cloud of dust.

The High Pixie is the first to greet them. "Wow, you sure travel in style!"

Geirin still wears her old uniform, just as Raidou does. She looks older, though -- not so wide-eyed and hesitant. It hasn't been that long since they've seen each other, and yet it feels like an eternity. When they first met, her katana and pistol looked like accessories. Now, they look like they belong on her. Raidou wonders how much battle she has seen since Abaddon; Tsukigata is a more active than, if not as strange as, the Capital.

He nods to her. "Nagi."

"Jouhei." She nods back. "Gouto-douji." The Kuzunoha were never much for the exchange of small pleasantries; Geirin gets right to the point. "As you've probably heard, we have recently had the pleasure of playing host to a pair of foreign demons. While normally this would not be cause for concern, their movement seems to be increasingly erratic."

"You're tracking them?" Gouto asks Epi, as the group begins its journey.

"Not me," the High Pixie replies. "Nagi's had me keeping in touch with some of the demons around Tsukigata. When the Western demons first arrived, there was some gossip, but nothing beyond that. Now the demons are fueling discussion because one of them keeps _moving._ "

"Towards the Capital and back," Geirin says pointedly. "Still, not a cause for concern. But then I heard the Inari whisper about demon murder in the Capital, so I was sure to report my findings. My conjecture was that our problems were linked. To hear of your intentions was a glorious coincidence; the Kuzunoha will be pleased that we seem to be working in tandem."

"Your suspicions were both correct," Gouto tells them, "and your vigilance will be commended. If someone could just explain to me how the Inari get so much gossip, I could call it day."

"Thank you, Gouto," Geirin fingers her long hair. "May I know what you've learned about these demons? The ones around here generally mind their own business. In theory, two visitors should not cause so much ruckus."

Raidou tells Geirin about Rumpelstiltskin and his encounter with Dullahan.

"That is most puzzling," she muses once he's finished. "In theory, the only purpose this Rumpelstiltskin would have is sustenance, and if he is sending Dullahan out instead, he is not fulfilling this purpose."

"Maybe he has another purpose," Gouto suggests. "Maybe there is some more complex scheme at play. Like the Luck Locusts."

Now their theorizing is starting to loop back upon itself. Raidou shakes his head, and decides that the quickest way to get answers is to find the demons and subdue them.

"Shall we split up, then?" Gouto refers to his earlier plan.

"In theory, that would be the best course of action." Geirin gives Raidou a small smile. "Very well, I suggest we try the Tento Shrine Annexes. In general, demons stay away from them, so it would, in theory, be the best place for the Western demons to be hiding. Provided hiding is what they are doing. This is only my conjecture, as I haven't been able to learn of their precise location."

Raidou queries, "So you've had no cause to patrol the areas around the annexes?"

Geirin shakes her head. "Everything has been quiet of late. As I've said, if not for the suspicious movements coinciding with murder, I would have had no reason to investigate for an indeterminate amount of time."

"So no one really knows exactly how long they've been here."

"No," she agrees. "In theory, we will be able to make these inquiries once we meet them face-to-face."

"To the annexes, then," Gouto says, ready to start.

"Let's start with East and North," Epi pipes up. "Nagi and I will take North if you and Gouto take East."

It's been a while since Raidou has seen Geirin's High Pixie, so this forwardness takes him by surprise. He eventually nods, but exchanges glances with his mentor. Besides being absurdly powerful for a faerie, Epi is becoming less of a summoned demon and more of a familiar each time they see her.

"Very well. In theory, I should reach my destination before you reach yours, so I will join you once I've investigated." She notes Raidou's bland expression and strokes her hair again. "I only meant that I live here -- patrol here. It stands to reason that I would move around more quickly. We shall see you in a couple of hours, yes?"

Raidou nods, adjusting his katana. "One more thing: if you see Rumpelstiltskin, remember that his name holds power over him."

Geirin cocks her head. "Is that your theory?"

He shrugs. "In the stories, he is rendered powerless by someone speaking his name. This could have something to do with a curse invoked by a human grounded in this world."

She gives him a single, slow nod. "I will remember it. Take care, Raidou."

"You, too."

***

Tsukigata has always been quiet, but Geirin only notices _how_ quiet when she is on patrol. Save for her own boots snapping twigs and kicking up dirt, the woods are nearly bereft of sound. Geirin and Epi have their rounds down to a science, and together they make excellent time to the North Annex. The annex is deserted, as usual, and deathly silent, escaping even the sounds of nature present in the woods. No one ever comes here -- not the demons, not the Tento -- and each time Geirin visits, she is further surprised that the Tento have not sealed the entrance to their caves.

"Epi," she says.

"I don't sense anything here," the High Pixie replies, circling the clearing.

"Neither do I." She looks around herself, searching for evidence of demonic activity, and finds none. "Well, let's keep on. Raidou and Gouto will be waiting for us."

"Not likely!" Epi laughs, jovial even on serious missions. "Dark Realms or no, those two don't have wilderness legs like us, Nagi. I bet you we catch up to them in no time."

Geirin shares a smile with her first demon, and then they start marching.

***

Raidou knows there is something amiss the moment he approaches the Tento Shrine Annex East. It's not that the annex is more deserted or haunting than usual, even though it sort of is -- it's that as he nears the clearing, he can hear singing. It's the sort of smug, maniacal melody that would come right out of a children's fairy tale. Raidou and Gouto stop short, taking shelter in the underbrush. Raidou peers through the thick leaves; he can't see much, but can tell that a fire burns within the entrance of the annex, and a little man -- no, a goblin -- dances 'round it.

 _Grow, grow, grow!  
Come from on high, come from below.  
Burn, burn, burn!  
Once it is offered, there is no return!  
Give them, take them -- it's all right to steal,  
Fingers all over them -- your skin I feel.  
Greed, greed, greed:  
When it so grows, then I shall be freed._

"Must be him," Gouto quips, barely above a whisper. The dancing continues, though the singing stops. Rumpelstiltskin seems engrossed in his ritual.

Slowly, demonstrating years of practice, Raidou emerges silently from the bushes, blocking the makeshift path leading back into the Tento Woods. He unsheathes Kagutsuchi and levels it at the hopping goblin.

"Rumpelstiltskin."

The name hangs in the air. The demon stops dancing, stands with his back to Raidou and looks over his shoulder. Rumpelstiltskin is even uglier than his picture depicted: a naked, wrinkled, sickly gray hunchbacked goblin with yellow eyes. There is a grotesque line of scar tissue beginning from his buttocks and zigzagging up to his right shoulder.

"Rumpelstiltskin," Raidou says again, with finality.

One yellow eye widens, and then the demon begins to cackle. It's a high-pitched shriek of a sound -- much worse than the singing. "Oh my," Rumpelstiltskin laughs, "oh my, oh my, oh my." He spins around, facing Raidou with a grin plastered on his face. His lopsided teeth make the smile horrific, and Raidou sees that the scar tissue's pattern is mirrored on the goblin's front. "Sorry, I learned my lesson a _long_ time ago. I don't just _give_ my name away, anymore."

Raidou changes tactics; a couple of swift movements later and he has two tubes ready. "Because I'm curious," he begins, "I will give you a chance to explain yourself. What are you trying to accomplish by spreading your gold across the Capital?"

"I don't give away that kind of information, either," Rumpelstiltskin replies. Behind him, the fire burns bright.

"Choice is yours, demon." Raidou raises his hand to summon, but the air behind him changes --

\-- He turns around in time to parry much of Dullahan's blow, but the force still sends him flying across the clearing into a tree at breakneck speed. The back of his head cracks against the trunk, leaving him stunned as he hits the ground. His katana clatters in the dirt next to him.

"Junior!" Gouto's urgent voice. That's odd; Gouto never calls out to him in battle, never disrupts his concentration, so what...?

He looks up. Through dazed double-vision he sees Dullahan toss something to Rumpelstiltskin. Something small, and brown. In fact, Raidou has a pretty good idea what it is. He also has a good guess at what's in Dullahan's other hand.

"HOW MUCH LONGER?" Dullahan demands. He sounds angry -- uneasy. Angrily uneasy. Raidou shakes his head, but that makes things worse. He fumbles for an Anti-Mind, and squeezes the tubes in his hand to make sure they're still there. He didn't drop them, of course; he never drops them. One of his first lessons from the Kuzunoha.

"We're nearly there." Rumpelstiltskin is impatient, not intimidated by the enormous demon before him. He tosses the pouch of coins over his shoulder. It's engulfed by the fire, and explodes into blue flame. "It would go quicker if you hadn't forgotten some of the coins."

"I HAVE PLAYED YOUR GAME. I WANT WHAT IS MINE." Now Dullahan throws the severed head -- very nearly at the speed at which he sent Raidou.

Rumpelstiltskin catches it one-handed. This single motion tells Raidou that he's dealing with something possibly more dangerous than Dullahan. "A gift? How thoughtful. But really, Dullahan, I don't need your leftovers. Leave it for the carrion next time." He throws the head as he did the coin pouch. It lands in the fire and it's not long before the stench of burning flesh fills the air. "Now, what to do with him?"

The Anti-Mind's cleansing effect isn't instantaneous, but Raidou is lucid enough to get up and manage the incantation to summon. Tam Lin and Sati join him again, putting themselves between their master and their enemies. Dullahan doesn't seem to care for the distraction, but Rumpelstiltskin looks put off.

"A Devil Summoner...?" He peers harder at Raidou, reaching out with his senses. "Wait ... you have some of my gold, don't you?" He squints, eyes practically closing. "I can only barely feel it. What trick is this, Summoner?"

"I guess I'm not greedy," Raidou hazards, and signals a charge. Tam Lin circles around to the left -- Sati, to the right.

"HE'S A CHILD, WITH A CHILD'S TOYS," Dullahan dismisses him, shadow fire crackling as he turns to face the assault. Raidou can hear the armor creak when Dullahan raises his sword.

"Then get him out of here!" Rumpelstiltskin orders, stamping his foot. "Kill him!"

Dullahan seems intent on making _some_ one answer for his anger. Raidou and his demons mostly dodge the blows. They come from all directions -- flail, sword, shadow fire.... It's as though the Pagan demon is in a full moon rage.

"Excitable lout!" he hears Rumpelstiltskin berate Dullahan. "I said get rid of him, not dance with him!"

When Raidou ducks a black flame, he sees Tam Lin falter out the corner of his eye. The Skill demon uses his spear to keep upright, skin already turning a little green. Poison, Raidou realizes. Fast-acting poison. "I will," Tam Lin chokes, "protect you unto death!"

Raidou fumbles for an Antidote, tossing it to the demon even while he dodges Dullahan's bone-whip. He feels the prick in his shoulder once he lands, and figures it's the way he hit the ground until he tries swinging Kagutsuchi and discovers his arm weighs a tonne. The reward for his toxin-addled movement is another taste of Dullahan's strength.

The flat of the sword that bats him away like a piece of fruit doesn't exactly _hurt_ so much, but only because the poison has dulled his sense of pain. He barely registers sliding across the dirt but hears Sati yell and cast Maragi. On his stomach now, not feeling much of anything -- can't move to get an Antidote. He can see Tam Lin on the ground -- can't tell if he was able to take _his_ Antidote before getting hit again. It's all on Sati now, but there's no way she can get to them while keeping Dullahan and Rumpelstiltskin busy. He has to try and move. Has to _try._

Gouto actually leaps into the fray. His mentor is headed right for him -- for his item pouch, probably. He won't make it.

He doesn't have to: Shockwave rips across the clearing, striking through Dullahan in an amazing stroke of luck. Even more extraordinarily, the bolt of lightning nearly hits Rumpelstiltskin, forcing him to back up closer to his fire. In the back of his mind, Raidou notes this, but presently he finds himself more interested in the fact that lightning has a greater effect on Dullahan than ice. Like frost magic, volt magic stuns for a few moments, and Raidou has never been more thankful for that short reprieve.

Geirin, Epi, and Cybele make their entrance, using those precious seconds to collect Raidou and his demons and escape. Sati and Cybele work together to drag Tam Lin. Geirin manages Raidou on her own, much to his surprise; he is literally dead weight.

"We don't have much time," Geirin says into his ear. "Forgive me," she goes on, padding him down, "I must find ... yes." She produces the small drum, whose beat is heard louder and farther than any usual-sized taiko. She returns Cybele, Epi, Tam Lin, and Sati to their tubes while they wait, checking over her shoulder the entire time. It seems like an eternity, but Raidou knows the Great Kohryu takes only moments to appear.

They take to the sky before Dullahan and Rumpelstiltskin are able to come after them.

***

It takes several minutes for the Antidote to work its way through Raidou's system, and Geirin has to keep him from falling to his death the entire time. Gradually, the numbness fades and he is able to move first his extremities, then his limbs.

"Thank you, Geirin." It's heartfelt.

"Not at all." She glances down at the forest below. "I didn't take us very far. What shall we do now?"

Raidou follows her gaze. "Rumpelstiltskin may be stronger than Dullahan. He didn't do much of anything, though."

"I agree," Gouto puts in. "Outside sticking you with a pin full of poison, that is."

"Quite a pin," Geirin says, handing it to him.

Raidou studies it, noting that it's also pure, heavy gold. He thinks about the battle. Rumpelstiltskin was clearly commanding Dullahan, but seemed to get agitated when he found out Raidou was a Devil Summoner. He yelled at Dullahan, but barely moved, like he was afraid of....

"The fire," he and Gouto say as one. "Rumpelstiltskin was building a fire," the cat goes on. "It definitely isn't natural -- demonic all the way. He threw the goblin coins into it, and wouldn't leave it unattended for the fight, shouting at Dullahan to do something he might be able to do very well."

"Even when Cybele attacked," Raidou adds, "Rumpelstiltskin did nothing. He was protecting the fire during Shockwave -- took no chances."

Geirin is nodding animatedly. "In theory, this would be why he sends the gold to be dispersed and recovered by Dullahan. If he cannot leave the annex, he cannot proceed with his plan."

"Maybe leaving the annex _is_ his plan," Raidou suggests. Building a fire to greed ... making gold coins he can supposedly "feel" and letting them change hands throughout the Capital....

Great Kohryu speaks, startling them all. "If I may be of assistance ... I have heard of such spells -- spells that allow a part of your essence to embody an object. Masters of such magic are rare, indeed."

Gouto's mind is the swiftest, having heard of pretty much every trick in the book. "So it's possible that Rumpelstiltskin is _feeding_ off greed through the gold?"

"But he needs the gold back," Geirin adds, "or else he gets nothing concrete."

A good theory, Raidou agrees. All that remains is finding out why the Western demon is apparently trapped in a Tento Shrine Annex. Oh, and stopping him. Now that they've found the renegade demons, they can't just leave them be -- can't let them go after anyone else. "They won't expect us to return so soon," he thinks aloud.

A pregnant pause. "No," Geirin agrees. "No, I suspect not."

***

The second time Raidou storms the East Annex, he has a layout, an ally, and a plan. Dullahan and Rumpelstiltskin may be powerful, but two Devil Summoners and four demons are a bit more than a nuisance to anybody.

"Good luck," Gouto shouts at them. "Remember that you've got one shot at this."

Raidou and Geirin exchange looks; they're ready.

Great Kohryu does them the favor of swooping down so they can jump -- make an entrance. The golden dragon is such a shock, Raidou and Geirin are actually on the ground for a few seconds before either Western demon realizes what's happening.

When Kohryu is gone, Geirin heads for Dullahan with Cybele and Raja Naga. Raidou goes for Rumpelstiltskin with Parvati. He can hear Geirin engage Dullahan behind him, and ahead of him, Rumpelstiltskin hunches down, planted firmly in front of the blazing fire.

"Stay away, Summoner!" the little goblin threatens, but only manages half of the signs for Agidyne before he has to dodge Parvati's Ziodyne.

"You're in bad shape," she calls, taunting the little demon. "What's that hideous scar?"

"Where's Shiva?" Rumpelstiltskin retorts, not skipping a beat. "I thought you were joined at the hip."

"He should be so lucky," she replies smoothly, moving fluidly around his attacks.

With Parvati playing on the goblin's temper, Raidou goes for the blue fire. He won't be able to do anything -- not on his own -- but Rumpelstiltskin's panic and desperation take over. Raidou hears Parvati cry out, and before he can look, finds himself tackled by a hundred-fifty pounds of gray goblin.

They hit the ground. Raidou rolls them, trying to hold Rumpelstiltskin down, hands struggling to find purchase on the rubbery skin. The scuffle lasts only a few seconds, and once Raidou gets a solid grip on the demon he holds on for all he's worth.

"Now!" he commands.

The one Rumpelstiltskin _should_ have been watching for is Long, who circles down from the sky in a swift blue arc. Flying out of nowhere into a window of opportunity, Long uses Glacial Blast on the goblin's fire. Demonic fire, felled by demonic ice.

The screech that comes from Rumpelstiltskin is unfathomable. It cuts through Raidou as he rolls to his feet, and he allows himself a wince. The gray goblin convulses in the dirt, shrieking and spitting and shrieking some more. It goes on and on until Long's spell is over and the goblin literally snaps in half. Raidou blinks, not believing what he is seeing. Rumpelstiltskin breaks apart along his jagged scar, as though he'd been stuck together with cheap glue. Now the goblin is quiet, leaking blood and entrails onto the forest floor.

All of the battlefield is stunned -- save Raidou, who joins his Frost demon at what used to be the fire. All that remains is a moldy severed head, perched atop a makeshift altar of bricks in the fire-pit. At first, Raidou believes it to be the other head he saw go into the fire, but this one is grinning and its eyes are working, darting back and forth.

"LEAVE IT," Dullahan's voice booms. Raidou hears the headless demon move, turns around to engage -- but Geirin is already ahead of him, leaping between them before Dullahan can make it across the clearing. She fires three quick shots, each one causing the bone-whip to falter so she can cut it down.

"In theory," she says, "you have no reason to fight us any longer. Or do you?"

Thanks to Geirin's distraction, Raidou is able to secure the most tactical position: facing the stalled battle, standing over Dullahan's coveted head. "We have questions."

"FOOL SUMMONER." The Irish demon takes several strides toward him. Geirin recognizes Raidou's intent, so she and her demons stand down, serving as a blockade for the clearing. "STEP AWAY OR I WILL--!" He stops cold. His black armor starts to shake.

"Dullahans hate gold," Raidou says, golden dart poised above the head's scalp. "Even the tiniest amount."

"SUMMONER -- DON'T." The closest Dullahan's ever come to begging, Raidou guesses.

"What was Rumpelstiltskin doing here?" Raidou demands, tightening his grip on the dart.

There is no love lost between the foreign demons; Dullahan answers without hesitation. "FEEDING ON HUMANITY'S GREED."

"How?"

"HE COULD GLEAN SOME OF HIS ESSENCE AND FORGE IT INTO GOLD. HE FED ON THE GROWING GLUTTONY AND WAS GOING TO USE IT TO REGAIN HIS STRENGTH."

"For what?"

"TO BREAK THE CURSE. I DID NOT KNOW HIM BEFORE HE TORE HIMSELF IN TWAIN, BUT I DO KNOW THAT KEPT A FLAME THAT BURNED FOR CENTURIES, SLOWLY BUILDING STRENGTH TO FINALLY BECOME THE BLAZE THAT WOULD SET HIM FREE."

"In Japan?" Geirin asks.

Dullahan keeps his eyes on his head, but answers her. "HE -- WE WANDERED, FOR SOME TIME. SEARCHING FOR GOOD, CONSISTENT HOSTS. THE GAMBLERS IN YOUR MANNEN-CHO WERE ... ESPECIALLY PASSIONATE." He hesitates, then ventures, "SUMMONERS. I NEED MY HEAD."

"Not yet." Raidou glances down at the grotesque thing in the pit. "How did you lose it?"

The head hisses, almost sounding like a rattlesnake. Dullahan's armor shakes again, more violently.

"You've caused us a lot of trouble," Geirin tells him, and leaves the implications to his imagination. "Answer him."

"RUMPELSTILTSKIN -- INTERFERED -- WITH ONE OF MINE STOPS, AND I WAS UNABLE TO FULFILL MINE DUTY. LOST WAS MINE STEED AND TO RUMPELSTILTSKIN WENT MINE HEAD. FROM THENCE," Dullahan goes very still, "FROM THENCE, I WAS BOUND TO HIS SERVICE. AND I HUNGERED. OH, HOW I HUNGERED."

"One myth enslaved to another," Gouto speaks up, sitting on the sidelines with his tail erect, reflecting his rapt attention.

Dullahan quivers some more; his desperation and rage are barely contained. "SUMMONERS," he tries again, "RETURN THAT WHICH IS MINE. RUMPELSTILTSKIN IS GONE; YOU HAVE YOUR ANSWERS AND HAVE FULFILLED YOUR GOAL. LEAVE ME TO MINE OWN DEVICES."

The story sounds genuine, and most of it probably is, but the Kuzunoha are not so easily fooled. Nor did Yatagarasu entrust to them the protection of Japan based on their sympathy. There is a stand-off. Raidou and Dullahan stare each other down, surrounded by loyal demons, another Devil Summoner, and a very observational cat. The moldy head twitches beneath the needle poised above its scalp.

Dullahan's patience is now paper-thin. "GIVE ME. MY HEAD."

Raidou doesn't move a muscle. "If Rumpelstiltskin fed on greed, why did you have to kill the gamblers?"

In the end, Dullahan's pride wins over self-preservation. "I _HUNGERED_ ," he sneers.

Raidou acts, jabbing the golden dart into the soft head not a moment after the confession. Dullahan screams, his head screams -- an otherworldly, ghastly sound -- and Raidou keeps his composure the entire time, listening to the wails and watching the black suit of armor writhe on the ground.

"You made your choice, demon," he says, hefting his sword. "I serve Yatagarasu," the skull gives way like old cheese, "and the Capital."

The screaming stops.

***

Raidou and Geirin leave behind a clearing full of dismembered demon parts. Geirin promises she will have it cleaned up later, and that Raidou ought not to worry. Geirin makes him stay overnight in Tsukigata, where they soothe aching muscles and Summoner stress in the onsen.

"I plan to patrol the annexes more vigilantly from now on," Geirin announces. She leans back against the edge of the pool. "I might have noticed something was amiss sooner."

"It's starting to look like demons may not find them so disconcerting after all," Epi adds. The High Pixie is hovering above the pool, chin propped up on her hands. "Or maybe after this, they'll be more inclined than ever to stay away. Who knows? In either case, it can never hurt to patrol more, right?"

Raidou only nods, and then lets his head droop. All the running around has finally gotten to him; he's tired. _All in a day's work._

"For future reference," Geirin notes, rubbing her shoulder, "Rumpelstiltskin is weak against Frost magic."

"Good to know," Gouto replies, stretching out on the rocks nearby. "In case we tangle with another one."

His wry tone is not lost on her. "Gouto-douji, do you mean to suggest that stranger things ... _haven't_ happened?"

His mentor snorts. It's a strange sound, coming from a cat. "Well, wouldn't that be fantastic? A whole legion fairy tale goblins, all out to get us."

Raidou suppresses a groan, and hopes the Dullahans decide to stay in Ireland.

"Some fairy tale," Geirin sighs. "Did he rip in two in the book?"

Raidou pulls his hat down. He doesn't remember reading about moldy cheese heads, either.

***

He decides to take the bus back, having bothered the Great Kohryu more often than he should have. The trip from Tsukigata to Tsukudo-Cho is long, but after the flurry of the past couple of days, Raidou welcomes it. Gouto doesn't say much, electing to read the paper over Raidou's shoulder and enjoy the silence after a hard job. They go all the way to Shinoda first, to leave the three Rumpelstiltskin coins with the Herald -- just in case. Then he takes his time shuffling his sore bones back to the Agency, and Gouto doesn't deign to hurry him along.

It's mid-afternoon once he finally arrives, but he can tell Narumi and Tae were waiting for him. The latter is already sitting down with a cup of coffee and a pad of paper and a grin from ear to ear.

"Welcome back, Raidou," Narumi says, waving him over. "We have sandwiches."

 

fin

**Author's Note:**

> [Digital painting by simargl.](http://simargl.deviantart.com/#/d2ywurp)


End file.
